THE International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) has given Zambia US$20 million for small-scale rural farmers meant to sustain livelihoods of poor farmers.

The money, which is equivalent to K94 billion is also meant to address the problem of global hunger.

According to a Press release made available to the Times in Livingstone by Ministry of Finance and National Planning public relations officer Chileshe Kandeta, 24,000 poor rural households would benefit from the smallholder agriculture business promotion programme.

"A total of 24,000 poor rural households will benefit from the smallholder agriculture business promotion programme and help to produce trade commodities by increasing agribusiness opportunities," Mr Kandeta said.

During the signing ceremony held in Rome, Italy last week, IFAD president Nwanze Kanayo signed on behalf of his organisation while Zambia's Ambassador to Italy Lucy Mungoma signed on behalf of the Zambian Government.

Speaking after the signing of the agreement, Dr Kanayo said IFAD was pleased with the partnership with the Zambian Government and would demonstrate its confidence in the partnership by establishing a country office this year.

Dr Kanayo applauded the excellent relations between his organisation and Zambia's ministries of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Livestock and Fisheries and Finance and National Planning.

The IFAD president guaranteed success of the programme, saying his organisation would continue to supervise and implement poverty reduction programmes in rural Zambia.

At the same occasion, Ms Mungoma said facilities should be created to enable women, who are the majority small-scale farmers, to enable them sell their surplus produce at fair prices to improve their livelihoods.

Ms Mungoma said facilities created would enable women access services such as education and health care.

"Through this agreement, the Zambian Government has demonstrated its commitment to development of policies and programmes that connect small-scale farmers with input suppliers and markets, build their profitability and enhance their capacity to positively intervene in the value chain," she said.

Ms Mungoma assured IFAD that since the majority of small-scale farmers in Zambia were women, the Government would ensure their full participation in development programmes.